San Francisco Homelessness in the Media 2009
Homelessness in San Francisco came under increased media attention in mid-2007, especially through an ongoing series in The Chronicle. This page will provide links and summaries of those stories, as well as other sources, in order to give SFHomeless.net users an overview and ready access. This page is meant as a resource. Please do not use summaries as a place to voice opinions or make judgments. Please feel free to add links to stories that deal specifically with SF Homelessness published since Summer 2007. Thank you. SF Gate / Chronicle "homeless" article search SF Bay Guardian "homeless" article search SF Weekly "homeless" article search BeyondChron "homeless" article search Examiner "homeless" article search 11/19/08 - The Chronicle - Wyatt Buchanan "Daly moves to pull funds for community court" Summary: Chris Daly wants homeless court funds pulled, but mayor's office refuses to accept Prop L defeat as will of the people on the issue. 11/19/08 - The Chronicle City Insider - Heather Knight "Bill O'Reilly hates us" Summary: A commentary on a documentary, available via YouTube, by Fox News' Bill O'Reilly in which BOR complains about San Franciscan values, including homeless behavior. 11/18/08 - BeyondChron - Randy Shaw "It’s Time to Re-Brand the “Housing Crisis” Summary: An overview of current housing problems and politics. 11/14/08 - BeyondChron - Bob Ostertag "City of Saint Francis Loses Its Own Saint Henry" Summary: Another detailed review of Hank's life. 11/13/08 - The Chronicle - Rachel Gordon "Hank Wilson dies - gay liberation activist" Summary: A detailed review of Hank's life. 11/13/08 - The Examiner - Tamara Barak Aparton "The City struggles to reach those living in cars" Summary: The vehicularly housed are a subset of the homeless with special needs and problems. 11/11/08 - BeyondChron - Paul Hogarth "Will the Left Over-Reach on Prop L’s Defeat?" Summary: Advocates and politicians may push for changes because of Prop L's defeat and not be able to achieve the desired result. 11/11/08 - BeyondChron - Paul Hogarth "Remembering Hank Wilson" Summary: San Francisco advocate and service provider Hank Wilson passed away on November 9. 11/11/08 - The Chronicle - Anna Sussman "Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans join the homeless" Summary: Many veterans are returning home and becoming homeless due to stress disorders and other causes. 11/11/08 - The Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "S.F. a good place to look at the plight of vets" Summary: SF has a large homeless veteran population, and CWN looks at the situations of some members. 11/11/08 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "Newsom's community court measure backfires" Summary: Prop L loses, and now people wonder if the homeless court should be closed by the will of the voters. 11/9/08 - The Chronicle - James Hannah "Homeless female veterans get onto radar of VA" Summary: Women make up a large part of homeless veterans too, and have special needs and problems. 10/31/08 - The Chronicle - James Temple "Glide striving to serve growing poor, homeless" Summary: Glide is taking on more than its share of the increasing homeless population in today's worsening economy, but donations have decreased because donors are worried about their own finances. 10/30/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Proposition L: Mayor's forgotten footnote" Summary: Newsom's Prop L will permanently fund the "homeless court", but gets less attention from the mayor than the other city and state props this year. 10/27/08 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "City Insider: Changing the way we give change" Summary: The orange homeless parking meters are still on their way while the Mayor prepares a marketing plan, and he thinks mocking them is...you have to read it to believe it. 10/25/08 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "City Hall politics seems to be driving Prop. L" Summary: Proposition L will guarantee funding of the Community Justice Center, and there are arguments for and against needing the proposition and the CJC. 10/24/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Children get "thrown away" in San Francisco, too" Summary: Children dropped off by parents who can't take care of them anymore doesn't just happen in other parts of the country, it happens in SF too, and Larkin Street Youth Services has seen many cases. 10/22/08 - The Chronicle - Marisa Lagos "S.F. panel recommends safe-streets programs" Summary: The Streets and Neighborhood Workgroup meets for last time and issues recommendations for homeless policy changes. 10/9/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Key group bids for consensus on homeless plan" Summary: Streets and Neighborhood committee meets again and prepares to make homeless policy recommendations to the Mayor; advocates, government, and business leaders are close to consensus on many issues, and still working on others. 10/7/08 - The Chronicle - City Insider Marisa Lagos "Can't we all just hold hands?" Summary: Streets and Neighborhood committee comprised of advocates, government, and business leaders try to reach consensus on a multitude of homeless policy issues. 9/30/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Changing S.F. street behavior in small ways" Summary: The Streets and Neighborhood Workgroup comprised of government, business, and advocate representatives has been meeting since summer and may be ready to pass some proposals that will affect the homeless. 9/27/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "S.F. panhandlers who work conventions" Summary: Two homeless men use geniality for effective panhandling, and like to panhandle outside conventions where they have a style that entertains some visitors. 9/25/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Worrisome changes roil the Mission District" Summary: An increase in homelessness in the Mission brings up gentrification debate, and denial from the government. 9/17/08 - SF Bay Guardian - Amanda Witherell "What are safe streets? Mayoral task force looks for ways to protect people in San Francisco — from the homeless" Summary: Streets and Neighborhood Workgroup is comprised of many influential policy makers and advisers, and they are about to recommend increased enforcement against the homeless. 9/12/08 - BeyondChron - Paul Hogarth "Sister Bernie, the “Conscience of San Francisco,” Goes on Sabbatical" Summary: Religious Witness founder Sister Bernie Galvin takes leave after fighting for homeless causes. 8/28/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Glide's food line: sanctuary for drug dealers" Summary: Tenderloin police captain says drug dealers loiter in Glide's long food line and deal drugs, and police can't arrest dealers without more help. 8/27/08 - The Chronicle - Eric Allday "Disabled rights group sues over Care not Cash" Summary: Berkeley disabled rights group files lawsuit stating that disabled are denied access to shelter beds under Care Not Cash; HSA director Trent Rhorer says 75-100 shelters beds go unused each night, so lawsuit is frivolous. 8/21/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "S.F. steps up to help women as shelter closes" Summary: Marian Residence closes, Coalition calls for private or City funding, City says a new building is about to be leased. 8/6/08 - BeyondChron - Ralph Stone "Homeless Veterans Need More Assistance" Summary: An increase of homeless veterans means there needs to be an increase of services. 7/26/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "A progress report on Golden Gate Park campers" Summary: Police and government social workers are still going on pre-dawn patrols of GG Park; the park seems to have less homeless camper-related debris than a year ago. 7/24/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "S.F.'s system for chronic offenders broken" Summary: One reason system broken may be that DA can't prosecute quality of life crimes effectively, therefore new court will handle those cases. 7/23/08 - The Chronicle - Wyatt Buchanan "Supes OK $500,000 for new crime court" Summary: Board of Supervisors passes measure to fund Community Justice Center. 7/22/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Community Justice Center picking up support" Summary: More Supervisors are supporting the proposal to build CJC. An incident of a homeless man attacking police in the Castro causes outcry for something to fix broken system, and CJC is viewed as best possible solution. 7/17/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Most homeless have city-funded home" Summary: Civil Grand Jury releases report that most panhandlers on street aren't homeless but have a room paid for by city programs. 6/25/08 - SF Bay Guardian - Editorial "Newsom's backwards budget: The mayor can't blame Schwarzenegger for his mess" Summary: Newsom's budget includes many homeless program cuts, but millions in increases for manager positions, including positions that may not be necessary. 6/17/08 - SF Bay Guardian - Amanda Witherell "Another Shelter Down: Women are casualties as St. Anthony shuts Marian Residence" Summary needed 6/10/08 - The Chronicle - Marisa Lagos "St. Anthony's to close S.F.'s Marian Residence" Summary: Marian residence and addiction recovery Farm closing due to financial pressures, leaving women especially vulnerable. 6/4/08 - SF Weekly - Ron Russell "To Serve & Collect: Nearly extinct and long at odds with the SFPD, the little-known San Francisco Patrol Special Police appears poised for a comeback" Summary needed 5/18/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Justice Center too good an idea to dismiss" Summary: Proposal to build Community Justice Center voted down in Board of Supervisor's committee. Some say it's too expensive during these tight budgetary times; some say it's a good idea and time is of the essence despite cost. 5/11/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "No protection for women on the streets" Summary: Women are especially vulnerable when homeless, and there are few specialty services for women on the street. 5/7/08 - BeyondChron - Adolfo R. Morales "Festive Rally Fights for City's Downtrodden" Summary: Social workers and homeless gather at City Hall to protest proposed cuts to social programs. 5/6/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Tenderloin long needed Salvation Army center" Summary: On June 27 the new Salvation Army center "Railton Place" will open in the Tenderloin offering rehabilitation services and 110 transitional housing units. 4/20/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "D.A., homeless advocates finally cooperating" Summary: There are 39 aggressive panhandlers who are clogging the judicial system, and a compromise concerning evidence between the DA and legal advocates may allow multiple offenders to be forced into services or jail. 3/26/08 - SF Bay Guardian - Amanda Witherell "Closing Time: San Francisco shuts a much-needed 24-hour homeless center" Summary: 150 Otis is replacing Buster's Place on April 1, but without the same capacity or services, which will burden other parts of the homeless services provider system and cause other problems for the homeless, especially women. 3/16/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Outsider's take on S.F. homelessness - yikes" Summary: A tourist has unpleasant experience with homeless; CWN revisits prosecution stalemate discussed in previous column, and calls for more cooperation between DA and advocate attorneys. 3/13/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "How helping the homeless can hurt them" Summary: James Hill died recently in the library bathroom from an overdose. Hill had several court dates where the DA wanted to convict Hill of quality of life violations and require treatment. However, advocate attorneys and the courts made the prosecution too complicated with evidence rules. 3/11/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Conscience of a conservatorship" Summary: City is gearing up to use court conservatorships to place some homeless in facilities to forcibly treat their mental disabilities. 3/11/08 - The Chronicle - Wyatt Buchanan "S.F. to make homeless shelters more homey" Summary: Supervisors likely to pass Shelter Standard of Care legislation and mayor is now supporting. 3/8/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Cracks in Newsom's plan for homeless in S.F." Summary: Addicts get housing and use their new rooms for getting high. 3/5/08 - The Chronicle - Cinnamon Stillwell "Homeless by the bay" Summary: Columnist adds her opinion to the discussion, which is filled with a lot of judgment of SF's homeless and politicians and advocates, and respect for New York's "tough love" homeless model. 3/2/08 - The Chronicle - Kevin Fagan "Homeless, Mike Dick was 51, looked 66" Summary: Homeless for decades, Mike Dick got into an SRO, but died 15 months later. UCSF study finds that many long-term homeless are dying from years of poor health even when they are saved from the streets. 3/2/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Why so many panhandling cases get dismissed" Summary: Mayor and DA want to prosecute aggressive panhandlers, but complain that advocates are getting most tickets dismissed because courts are requiring full prosecution. 2/27/08 - SF Bay Guardian - Bryan Cohen "Beyond beds: Mayor's Office stalls legislation to create standards of care for homeless shelters Summary: Mayor's office opposes Shelter Standard of Care legislation; many others believe it is overdue. 2/26/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "City must strengthen approach to liquor stores" Summary: The City's 867 liquor stores, with a high concentration in the Tenderloin, seem to be contributing to the chronic inebriation problem, but there is difficulty coming up with a solution. 2/20/08 - SF Bay Guardian - Bryan Cohen "No shelter from the budget storm: Buster's Place, the city's main 24-hour homeless drop-in center, faces closure" Summary: Buster's Place faces closure, again, in budget battle. 2/12/08 - SF Bay Guardian - Amanda Witherell "Shelter shuffle: Inside San Francisco's confounding system of housing the homeless" Summary: Reporter goes undercover and stays at shelters 1/31/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Haight neighbors recycle anger about homeless" Summary needed 1/30/08 - SF Bay Guardian - Amanda Witherell "Setting Standards: San Francisco's homeless shelters, overdue for basic necessities, may be about to change" Summary needed 1/29/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Slaying on Russian Hill" Summary: Killing of mentally ill panhandler by police raises old issues. 1/8/08 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Mayor's new homeless policy guru is eager for change" Summary: Dariush Kayhan is the new homeless policy director for San Francisco and has a mandate to implement the Mayor's old policies and some new ones too. 12/23/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "If you want to help the homeless, just say yes" Summary: Nevius makes personal call to Coalition on Homeless to put forward solutions to homeless issues, and accuses COH of avoiding dialogue with him. 12/20/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Tacoma's novel notion to aid inebriants: cheap-booze-free zone" Summary: Tacoma has ban on selling cheap alcohol in their Tenderloin area, but SF isn't able to duplicate that because of California state law. Local retailers won't volunteer to stop selling, but Washington retailers have had some success. 12/18/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "S.F. paramedic says homeless people burden hospitals" Summary: Former paramedic Niels Tangherlini drives around and helps chronic inebriants before they burden the ER system, but still the ER system is overburdened with repeat users and needs fixing. 12/16/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "S.F. leaders hear about Portland's approach to homelessness" Summary: Portland's sit-lie law moves the homeless away from businesses between 7AM and 9PM, and business leaders help provide public restrooms and other amenities. 12/14/07 - BeyondChron.com - Randy Shaw "Chronicle Begins Attack on Affordable Housing Measure" Summary: Response to 12/12/07 (should be 12/13) Nevius column . Lays out different facts regarding Affordable Housing Measure and the people involved. 12/13/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Supervisor Chris Daly gets kudos of a sort" Summary: Daly and others are helping Affordable Housing Measure get serious consideration. 12/9/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "A flood of stressed vets is expected" Summary: One-third of SF homeless are veterans, and after Iraq a lot more are expected. However, the Federal government doesn't have much of a plan to help. 12/7/07 - The Chronicle - Paul Boden and Jennifer Friedenbach "Removing homeless from sight doesn't make them go away" Summary: Advocacy leaders respond to social and political trend of wanting homeless swept out of sight. 12/6/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Newsom hints at new plans to address S.F.'s homeless problem" Summary: Mayor says there's a new plan to require case management as part of shelter stay. 12/4/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "City tackling homelessness in park, but debate still raging" Summary: Review of progress since GG Park sweeps began. HSA says progress has been made. Sunset residents say homeless in their neighborhoods are different and more aggressive and came from park. 12/2/07 - The Chronicle - Rabbi Alan Lew "Belittling homeless degrades everyone" Summary: Rage against the homeless caused by futility of past attempts to remove homeless, and degrades everyone. 12/2/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Outer Sunset on edge as homeless numbers grow" Summary: Homeless man at 7-11 in Outer Sunset stabs German exchange student at 1 AM; Sunset no longer considered safe; is it because of GG Park evictions? 11/30/07 - The Chronicle - Editorial "Berkeley says 'enough'" Summary: Chronicle editors like Berkeley city council measure Public Commons for Everyone Initiative that makes it easier to cite homeless but also provides housing and services. 11/30/07 - BeyondChron.com - Paul Hogarth - "Chronicle Exploits Meeting With Galvin to Bash Homeless" Summary: Religious Witness responds to Chronicle story of 11/29/07 11/29/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Rays of light in dark discussion of S.F.'s homeless" Summary: Chronicle editorial board meets with Religious Witness With Homeless People 11/27/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Supes tinkering with Newsom's park camping ordinance" Summary needed 11/15/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Heroes, concerns in case of homeless assault suspect" Summary needed 11/8/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "A challenge for S.F. mayor: Clean up the streets" Summary needed 10/18/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "City's homeless shelters clean, safe, but shunned when it's dry" Summary needed 10/14/07 - The Chronicle - Editorial "What to do with the homeless" Summary: Chronicle editors discuss avalanche of SFgate comments concerning recent homeless articles. 10/11/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Something's Got to Give: Homeless advocates and the city's leaders need to stop yelling at each other and work toward a solution" Summary needed 10/9/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "'Enough is enough,' S.F. says of homeless: Residents of a famously liberal city appear to be changing views" Summary needed 10/4/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "C.W. Nevius visits the homeless sweep area South of Market" Summary needed 9/23/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Golden Gate Park update - fewer needles, homeless campsites" Summary needed 8/5/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "The Face of S.F.: Homeless camps and syringes in Golden Gate Park aren't new, but nobody disputes that the city's crown jewel deserves better" Summary needed 7/31/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Unlikely view from decks of tony homes: homeless campsites" Summary needed 7/29/07 - The Chronicle - Matier and Ross "The Situation at Golden Gate Park: Sunday in the park -- with needles" Summary needed 7/24/07 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Here's the Real Problem in Golden Gate Park: Newsom's Failure: Despite his vow to clean up the city's gem, homeless encampments and used syringes litter the area" Summary needed Category:Media